A group of eleven TAP Head-Start parents and volunteers recently congregated at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Salem for their first “Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters” class. The participants included a mixture of people from men to women, some cooking experience to none (one participant had never held a knife!), and various ethnicities.
The goal of these classes is to bestow a set of cooking skills which will help participants learn about, plan, shop for, and prepare economical, nutritionally balanced meals.
The classes span six weeks and will demonstrate multiple skills in the areas of nutrition, cooking, and budgeting so participants feel confident enough to prepare a meal that provides proper nourishment for their families.
During the first class, participants learned healthy cooking basics. MyPlate (the USDA’s new nutrition guidelines) was explained in detail and participants were taught how to analyze and read a food label.
The cooking portion of class included kitchen safety basics such as hand washing and knife safety. Knife techniques were explored and participants joined together to produce their lunch which included “The Works Pizza” (a crisp whole wheat pizza dough topped with a rich tomato sauce, reduced fat mozzarella cheese, and a plethora of sautéed vegetables), and “Northwest Apple Salad” (diced local apples tossed with crunchy roasted walnuts and creamy honeyed yogurt and topped with a dusting of cinnamon).
Participants were shown how to read a recipe, were introduced to cooking terms and common ingredient measures, and shown what appropriate and inappropriate portions looked like.
At the end of class, laughter and questions drifted around the room as participants and volunteers sat together to enjoy the meal. Each participant left class with a grocery bag of ingredients to practice healthy cooking techniques at home.
The atmosphere of the class showed participants and volunteers alike that cooking really does matter to not only improve the health of our citizens but to strengthen the community.
– Amanda Gilley
Northwest Apple Salad- From Cooking Matters Manual
Chef Linette True: Portland, Oregon
Serves 4, ¾ cup servings
Prep time: 10 minutes; Cook time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
2 medium Granny Smith Apples
2 tablespoons dried fruit (such as raisins or cranberries)
3 tablespoons plain low-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon whole, shelled walnuts
Optional Ingredients:
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tablespoon honey
Materials:
Cutting board
Measuring spoons
Medium bowl
Sharp knife
Small skillet
Directions:
Rinse and remove cores from apples. Do not peel. Cut into 1-inch pieces. Place in medium bowl.
Add dried fruit and yogurt to bowl. Mix well.
In a small skillet over medium heat, toast nuts until golden brown and fragrant. Watch closely so they do not burn. Remove from pan and let cool.
Chop cooled nuts with a knife. Or, put in a plastic bag and crush with a can.
Add crushed nuts to bowl. If using, add honey. Toss and serve.
Nutrition Facts for ¾ cup serving:
Calories: 60
Total Fat: 1.5g
Sodium: 10 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 13g
Fiber: 2g
Sugars: 11g
Protein: 1g
Chef’s Notes:
Use any kind of apple in this recipe
Use any kind of nuts in place of walnuts. Nuts can be toasted in an oven at 350°F for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant. Nuts can also be omitted.